Improvement in fire-escapes



A. WARTH.

FIRE-ESCAPE..

Patented June 26,1877.

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N-FETERS, PMGTO-L-THOGHAPHER. WASHINGTON. D C.

ALBIN WARTH, OF STAPLETON, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN FIRE-ESCAPES.

' Specication forming part of Letters Patent No. 1192,54@ dated June 26, 1877 application filed May 16, 1877.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ALBIN WARTH, of Stapleton, in the county of Richmond and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved FireEscape, which in vent-ion is fully set forth in the following specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure I represents a perspective view of my nre-escape when the same is in operation. Fig. 2 is a side view of the same on a larger scale than the previous ligure. Fig. 3 is a face view of the same. Fig. 4 is a section of the end of the rope, showing its connection with a ring or hook. v

Similar letters indicate corresponding parts.

This invention consists in the combination, with a rope and with a body-belt, of a flanged friction-ring, provided with two spouts for guiding said rope to and from said rin g, so that, by passing a cross-bar secured to the body-belt through said ring, a simple, durable, and firm connection between these parts is produced, and by securing the rope at its upper end to a window-frame or any other part ot' a building, and winding saidA rope two or three times round the friction-ring, a person secured to the bodybelt is enabled to descend to the ground with perfect safety. vWith the body-belt and its cross-bar, which serves to fasten it to the friction-ring, are combined a pair of drawers, so that in case a person is suddenly aroused from sleep by the cry of fire, he or she can protect the limbs and body from exposure in escaping from the burning building. With the rope is combined a tapering socket, carrying a ring or hook, the end of the rope being formed into a knot, which is drawn into the large end of said socket and protected by a screw-plug, so that a firm and durable connection is eifected between the ring or hook and the rope.

With the friction-ring and the rope is combined a iiexible sleeve, which embraces the rope and serves to protect the hand oi' the person descending by means of my apparatus.

In the drawing, the letter A designates a ring, which is provided with two anges, a, a, projecting from its edges,and with two spouts, b c, extending from opposite sides, one ot'said Spouts serving to guide the rope B to and the other 'to guide it from the ring. The face of the ring A, between the side flanges al a, is wide enough to allow ot' windingV the rope two or three times around said ring, and in order to prevent the several coils of the rope from rubbing against each other, I have provided the ring withaspiralseparating-lange, d.

With the rope B is combined a eXible sleeve, C, which is connected to the ring A by a strap, e, so that the hand of the person using my lire-escape is protected against friction. In the example represented by the drawing, I

l have shown two such hand-protecting sleeves,

one on each side of the friction-ring A, so that the apparatus can be reversed and used with either end of the rope up. This protectingsleeve is by preference made of leather, and its ends are protected by metallic thimblesf, which are composed of two parts each-one part to embrace the end of the sleeve, and the other part to lit into it and to be connected to the first part by a screw-thread.

Ihe ends of the rope are secured each in a tapering metaliic socket, D, to which is firmly connected a ring or hook, E, and in order to retain the rope iirmly in the socket I form its end into a knot, and draw this knot into the wide end of the socket, which is afterward closed by a screw-plug, g. The ring or hook E serves to secure the end` of the rope to a strong bolt or hook secured for this purpose -in the window-frames of a building; o r, if no such bolt is provided, the rope may be secured to a bed-post or any other partin the interior ot' the building.

The frietion-ring A is by preference cast all in 'one piece with its anges and spouts, and with this ring iscombined a body-belt, F, which is provided with a locking-bar, Gr, so that when the belt has been passed round the body of a person, it can readily be connected to the ring A by passing the locking-bar through said ring. With the body-belt are combined a pair of drawers, H, which are fastened to the same by buttons or other suitable fasteuings, and which serve to protect the limbs and body of the person using my apparatus against exposure in casevsuch person is compelled to escape without getting time for dressing'.

After the body-belt has been properly secured to the person intending to escape, and

to the friction-ring, such person can descend by taking hold with one hand of the protecting-sleeve and allowing the rope to slide through this sleeve with more or less speed. After one person has descended and been released from the body-belt, another person can draw up the rope, reverse the same, and make his or hel` descent without loss of time. It must be remarked that the ilexible, protecting-sleeve O can be combined with another friction device-such, for instance, as that shown in my patent No. 28,525.

This apparatus is very simple in its construction, it can be operated by the most timid person, it is not liable to get out of order, and it can be stored away'in asmall. space, so that it can always be found in case of need.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The tubular ring A, having spoutsb and c, in combination with the rope B, passing through the tubular ring, and the belt F, having a locking-bar, Gr, adapted to pass through l the ring A, substantially as shown and described.

2. The combination, with the body-belt F, its locking-bar G, the rope B, and the frictionring A, of a pair of drawers, H, substantially as and for the purpose. set forth.

3. The combination of the ring E, having a tapering socket, D, and removable cap g, of

vthe rope B, knotted and inserted through the tapering socket, and retained by the removable cap, substantially as described.

4. The combination of the fiexibleprotecting-sleeve C, with the rope B, the tubular ring W. HAUFF, E. F. KASTENHUBER. 

